University of Rochester . . . Originally a “spin off”, it’s become a powerhouse!
The University of Rochester has been recognized as one of the world’s top colleges. Its standing on the collegiate landscape was strengthened even more when Newsweek magazine cited it as one of the “New Ivies”. But of all the outstanding colleges, the University of Rochester has one of the most interesting beginnings. Like some television shows, this outstanding school began as a sort of “spin off”!
Back in the mid 1800’s, Colgate University was planning to move from Hamilton, New York more than 100 miles west to the larger city of Rochester, New York. Only a lawsuit stopped the move from happening! At that point, a group of Colgate faculty and supporters left Colgate anyway and independently founded the new university in Rochester on their own.
Several years ago, the University of Rochester received quite a bit of attention for creating one of the country’s most interesting college curriculums. By and large, the new program eliminated traditional course “requirements”. For students who aren’t in a specialized field of study such as engineering, the only required course is an introductory writing course. But if you think you’re already a capable writer, you can even take a test to have that requirement waived!
If your high school begins the day with students reciting the Pledge of Allegiance then you might already be on track to becoming a University of Rochester “Yellowjacket”. Why? Because the author of the famous patriotic pledge, which was first published in 1892, is a University of Rochester alum!
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